Munchkin 'Cisco
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: Sequel to The Unwonderful Wizard Of Charmed. When everyone else inexplicably begins reverting to the characters they portrayed in the movie The Wizard Of Oz, Phoebe finds herself alone facing the warlock that originally put them there.
1. Default Chapter

CHARMED "Munchkin 'Cisco"  
(Sequel to the story "The Unwonderful Wizard Of Charmed)  
By J. B. Tilton and Angela Roche email: Rating: PG (for mild language)

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes "A Paige From The Past" and "Trial By Magic".)

When everyone else inexplicably begins reverting to the characters they portrayed in the movie "The Wizard Of Oz", Phoebe finds herself alone facing the warlock that originally put them there.

ONE

Phoebe walked into the kitchen with Cole close at hand. Piper, Paige, and Leo were all ready there just beginning breakfast.

"Morning, sleepy heads," said Piper. "I guess nearly getting married must have really wiped you out."

"I did get shot," said Cole. "I'm just glad Leo and Paige got back from the past in time to heal me."

"Lucky for you you're fully human now," said Leo. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to heal you completely."

"He was pretty worn out after that," said Phoebe. "So we decided to sleep in for a bit."

"Well, I can heal the damage," said Leo. "But I can't do anything about some of the side affects. Like draining your strength. That has to be replenished normally."

"Nothing wrong in sleeping late," said Paige. "We all deserve it now and again."

"And if you don't head for work," said Piper, looking at her watch, "your boss might think you deserve to be fired for being late again."

"Right," said Paige, getting up from the table. "Well, off to the salt mines."

"I'd hardly call the work you do salt mines," said Cole.

"Maybe," said Paige. "It's still not easy work."

"Yeah, right," said Phoebe, smiling. "You probably just sit around at your desk all day and drink coffee."

"Better be careful," said Paige with a mock cackle in her voice, "or I'll have to deal with you, my pretty. And your little dog, too."

"Yeah, yeah, real funny," laughed Phoebe. "You'd better get to work while you still have a job to go to."

"On my way," said Paige, as she breezed out of the kitchen.

"I'd better get going, too," said Piper. "Today is when the distributor makes his deliveries and I need to make sure everything is there."

"Want me to orb you there?" Leo asked.

"No," said Piper, "I'll drive. It's a nice day out today."

"This is San Francisco," said Phoebe. "It's always a nice day out."

"All the more reason to enjoy it," said Piper.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight," said Phoebe as Piper left the kitchen. Phoebe turned to Cole. "So, what do you want to do this afternoon? We could go see a movie. Or maybe we could have lunch at one of the restaurants downtown."

"Hmmm," said Cole. "That's a hard one. Both sound like fun. I'm not sure which one appeals to me more."

"Let's go see a movie, then," said Phoebe. "After we have lunch at a restaurant."

"A decisive woman," joked Cole. "I love that."

"What's that?" Leo asked, suddenly looking into the entryway.

"What's what?" Cole asked.

"Oh, nothing," said Leo. "I just thought I heard something, that's all."

"Well," said Phoebe, "Piper and Paige are busy for the day. Come on, Cole. Let's go find something to occupy our time."

As Phoebe and Cole left the manor Leo began to look around. He was sure he had heard something. But neither Phoebe nor Cole had apparently heard it. And nothing seemed out of place in the manor. After a while he decided it must have been his imagination. As everyone went about their business none of them noticed a slight red glow coming from the back of Phoebe's closet. 


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Phoebe and Cole came out of a restaurant downtown. It was just past noon and it was a beautiful day, as usual, in San Francisco. In the middle of the afternoon on a crowded street in San Francisco it was unlikely that a demon would attack.

"That's odd," said Phoebe.

"What?" Cole asked.

"That building across the street," said Phoebe. "I've eaten here at least a dozen times. I never noticed that building was green before."

"Maybe they just painted it," suggested Cole. "In fact, it looks like a lot of the buildings are getting a new paint job."

Phoebe looked up and down the street. Several buildings along the street were the same shade of green as the one across the street. She also noted that all of the buildings were city government buildings of one type or another.

"Maybe the city decided to paint all government buildings green," she said. "To make them easier to distinguish from the surrounding buildings."

"You think so?" Cole asked. "Maybe you're right. But it's just strange they'd pick such an unusual emerald green for the color. Still you're probably right."

"So, what kind of movie shall we see?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I know how much you like those romantic comedies," Cole said. "Of course, we haven't seen a good psychological thriller lately. And a sci-fi movie can be good. Or maybe a murder mystery."

"Come on,' said Phoebe. "Let's go see what's playing. We can decide after that."

Phoebe and Cole walked into the manor. It was clear Phoebe was not happy. Cole, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Phoebe's mood. He seemed not to have a care in the world.

"I'm going to see what Piper's up to," Phoebe said to Cole. "Her car is out front so I guess she decided to come home early. Why don't you see what's on TV?"

"Sure thing," said Cole as he headed for the living room.

Phoebe headed for the kitchen. She stopped at the door and looked back at Cole in the living room. He sat on the sofa with the remote control in his hand. He was flipping through the channels as if he couldn't decide what to watch. Phoebe just sighed and walked into the kitchen.

"I think Cole has finally lost it," Phoebe said, walking into the kitchen. "He couldn't decide what he wanted for lunch, he couldn't make up his mind what movie to see, and now he's sitting in the living room flipping through the channels."

Phoebe stopped short as she looked around the kitchen. The entire room was filled with cakes, pies, pastries, and all other sorts of baked goods. The table and every bit of counter space, even the chairs, were filled to capacity.

"Piper, what's going on?" Phoebe asked, looking around.

"Nothing, dear, why?" Piper asked as she took yet another pie out of the oven.

"Baking much?" Phoebe asked. "Piper, what's all this?"

"It was just such a beautiful day, I felt like making a special dessert," Piper said.

Her voice was high pitched, almost as if she were singing. She moved around the kitchen in a flowing motion as if she were dancing instead of carrying an extremely hot pan. She was definitely not acting like Piper Halliwell.

"Piper, are you okay?" Phoebe asked.

"Of course, dear," said Piper. "I'm fine."

"Okay, this is strange," said Phoebe. "First Cole can't seem to make even the simplest decisions. And now you're here acting all Mary Poppiny. What's going on around this house?"

"Pssst, over here."

Phoebe turned to see Leo cowering in the corner behind a cabinet. His eyes darted around as if he were looking for something. And there was a look of fear on Leo's face.

"She's coming," Leo whispered. "When she finds us we're all going to die."

"Who?" Phoebe asked. "Leo, what's the matter with you?"

"The witch," said Leo. "She's coming. When she finds us we'll all die."

"There you are," cackled a voice from the kitchen door. "Give me what I want and maybe I'll let you live."

Phoebe turned to see Paige standing in the kitchen doorway. She was dressed completely in black and was holding a broom. Phoebe looked around at her family wondering if the entire world had suddenly gone crazy. 


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Paige, what's wrong with you?" Phoebe asked.

"Don't play games with me," Paige cackled. "You have something that belongs to me. Give them back or what happens to you won't be pretty."

Phoebe looked at her family suddenly realizing what was going on. Leo was jumping at every little sound, scared of anything that moved. Piper was acting uncharacteristically optimistic and convinced that everything would work out. Paige was acting like an evil warlock bent on recovering something she believed Phoebe had. Leo was the cowardly lion, Piper was Glenda the good witch, and Paige was the Wicked Witch of the West. They were all changing into characters from the movie "The Wizard Of Oz".

That would also explain Cole's recent behavior. If he were changing into the scarecrow he would be incapable of making a decision. The scarecrow didn't have a brain and couldn't make up his mind.

Cole. Phoebe brushed past Paige and ran into the living room. The wicked witch in the movie had threatened to stuff a mattress with the scarecrow. She had even set fire to him near the end of the movie. If Paige was converting to that character there's no telling what she might have done to Cole before coming into the kitchen. Phoebe found Cole still sitting on the sofa flipping through the TV channels. She grabbed him and hugged him close.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Phoebe said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cole asked. Suddenly Cole saw Paige who had followed Phoebe into the living room. "Dorothy, the witch."

"You called me Dorothy," Phoebe said.

"That is your name, isn't it?" Cole asked.

Phoebe's head was starting to swim. This could not be happening. It had been months since their encounter with that warlock. He had cast a spell that had put them in the movie "The Wizard Of Oz". But they had escaped the movie and vanquished the warlock. And they hadn't even known Paige yet. How could this be happening now?

Phoebe moved hurriedly to the front door. She hesitated for a minute and then opened the door. The sight that greeted her chilled her blood. She no longer saw Prescott Street. Everywhere she looked she saw tall green spirals and pillars. They were in the Emerald City from the movie.

People walked the streets but they weren't the normal type Phoebe was used to seeing. Many were no more than two feet tall dressed in gaudy, outlandish clothes. Overly exaggerated colors and overly emphasized clothes could be seen everywhere. They all looked exactly like the Munchkins in the movie.

There were no cars but there were several carriages being drawn by horses. One in particular drew Phoebe's attention. As Phoebe watched, the horse changed from green to blue to purple to yellow and finally to orange. The horse of a different color from the movie.

Phoebe looked around. Everywhere she looked she saw the Emerald City from "The Wizard Of Oz". Everywhere except the manor. For some reason it remained unchanged. Phoebe wasn't sure why the manor was unaffected but at least for the moment it remained unchanged.

But why had her sisters, Leo, and Cole been affected when the manor wasn't? She knew why she had not been affected. Her precognitive ability had partially protected her from the warlock's spell. She had been sucked into the movie like everyone else but her special sight had kept the spell from changing her into Dorothy. Presumably it was also protecting her from this whatever this was. But that didn't explain why the manor was unchanged but the people weren't.

"Give me the slippers," cackled Paige. "Only I can use their magic. They're of no use to you."

"Stow it, sis," said Phoebe. "No one gets anything until I figure out just what the hell is going on here."

"My, my a bit testy this morning, aren't we?" asked a voice from the living room.

Phoebe spun to face the living room. A man was on the edge of the sofa sitting on the arm. The man appeared to be about thirty years old. He had blonde hair and mustache but was otherwise clean-shaven. He was dressed in a suit but wore no tie. Phoebe recognized the man instantly. It was the warlock that had trapped them in the movie. A warlock she had believed been vanquished once the movie had ended and the warlock was still trapped in the movie. 


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"You're dead," said Phoebe. "We vanquished you."

"Don't you just hate it when you think everything is taken care of and then it comes back to bite you in the ass?" asked the warlock smiling at her.

"Whatever you're doing," said Phoebe, "I want you to stop it right now."

"Or what, sweetheart?" asked the warlock. "You can't get close enough to me to use your martial arts. I'd just blink away. And you don't have the powers your sisters have. Let's face it. There's not a whole lot you can threaten me with. But in all fairness I really can't do anything about it."

"Can't or won't?" asked Phoebe.

"You don't understand," said the warlock. "This isn't my doing. No, honey, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for the culprit. I wish I could take credit for all this, I really do. This has gone well beyond what I had originally intended. But I gotta admit I kind of like it."

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe demanded. "If you're not doing this then who is?"

"You really haven't figured this out yet, have you?" questioned the warlock. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised."

"Why?" Phoebe asked. "You think I'm too stupid or something like that?"

"Oh, no, quite the contrary," said the warlock. "You and your sisters have all demonstrated you're more than resourceful enough. Even the younger one who hasn't been at this game as long as the other two of you. Why do you think I used that spell? Anything else would have been much too risky.

"No, this has nothing to do with intelligence. It has more to do with experience. And knowledge. You haven't figured it out because there's still so much about magic you don't know. Things that take time to learn. You just haven't learned them yet, that's all."

"Okay, smart guy," said Phoebe. "Just what is it I don't know yet, then?"

"Oh, no, not yet,' said the warlock smiling again. "It's much too early for the 'since you're going to die anyway' speech."

"I see," said Phoebe. "Which means you don't know either."

"Bravo," said the warlock, clapping his hands, "pushing all the right buttons. I'm impressed. This would be the part of the story where I'm supposed to become outraged because you've insulted me. The part where I'm supposed to prove I'm smarter than you by telling you everything I know.

"Sorry to disappoint you, love. But you'll have to figure this one out for yourself. It's a shame the Whitelighter and the demon are caught up in the magic. I'm sure they could be of immense help. They have been around a bit longer than you."

"We stopped you before," said Phoebe. "We'll do it again."

"Not this time, darlin'," said the warlock. "As I said, I'm not the one who's doing it. I'm afraid going after me will do you absolutely no good at all. Even if you should manage to vanquish me by some miracle, it really won't do you any good. Nothing at all would change. And soon your friends will be so totally immersed in their roles there will be no way to save them. They will become their characters forever."

"I'll save them," Phoebe said. "I'll find who's doing this and vanquish them. Then I'm coming after you."

"That would be a very nice trick,' said the warlock. "And also a promise you can't possibly keep."

"Why not?" Phoebe asked. "Once I vanquish whomever's doing this everything returns to normal. And there's nothing to stop me from coming after you."

"There's one reason I can think of,' said the warlock. "I told you I'm not doing this and I was being honest when I said that. But I do know who is doing it. Unfortunately, you've not about to vanquish the person who is really responsible."

"And just why not?" Phoebe asked.

"Because," said the warlock, "most people don't have it in them. And I'm sure you don't either. You see, in order to stop this, you'd have to commit suicide. I'm not the one who's doing this. You are." 


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"You're lying," said Phoebe.

"Oh, I can assure you,' said the warlock, "I have absolutely no reason to lie."

"That's impossible," said Phoebe. "I haven't done anything that would cause something like this. In fact, I don't have that kind of power."

"It's quite true," said the warlock. "All of this is courtesy of you. And the longer it continues the stronger the magic gets until eventually it will be so strong nothing will be able to stop it. At that point this reality will become the Land of Oz permanently. Nothing will be able to change it back."

"I'll find a way," said Phoebe. "My sisters may not remember who they are but they are still the Charmed Ones. Remember how we got out of that movie? Even without their memories the Power of Three still functions. All I have to do is have them help me cast a spell to undo all this."

"Nice thought," said the warlock, "but it won't work." He moved over and pulled back the drapes on the front windows to expose the Emerald City outside. "Look around you. This is no longer San Francisco. It's the Land of Oz. Which means magic must now operate based on those rules. And that means you can never defeat me."

"It'll be a cold day when we can't defeat a warlock," said Phoebe.

"My point exactly," said the warlock. "Since we are now literally in the Land of Oz, everyone is reverting to the roles assigned them when they were in the movie, your younger sister taking the older ones place. Call her an understudy if you will. That being the case, I'm sure you remember which role I was cast in."

"The wizard," gasped Phoebe.

"Precisely," said the warlock. "The great and powerful Oz. The ultimate force in the Land of Oz. The one being that no other being compares to in power. I have ceased to be a warlock. I am now the Wizard Oz. And Oz cannot be defeated in his own land."

"You're forgetting something," said Phoebe. "Oz turned out to be a charlatan. A con artist with no real power."

"True," said the warlock, "at the end of the movie. But this is no movie. It's real. And since there's no end to come, Oz remains the ultimate force in this land. A force greater than the Power of Three."

Phoebe looked at the others. She could tell the warlock was right. Even Paige, the powerful Wicked Witch of the West, was cowering in fear before the warlock. If even half of what the warlock was saying was true even the Power of Three might not be able to change things back to the way they were supposed to be.

"I must really thank you," said the warlock. "I only had thought to steal your powers. In this altered reality not even the Source nor the Elders are a match for me. So I have to thank you for allowing me to gain even more power than I thought possible.

"Once the magic has altered things enough I'll be able to kill even you and take your powers. The only way to stop me is to end this before that happens. And there's only one way to do that. But even then that will allow me to kill your sisters and take their powers. So no matter what you do, I win."

The warlock just laughed and then suddenly blinked out of the manor. Phoebe looked at the others who relaxed noticeably when the "wizard" was no longer there. Phoebe had no idea what she was going to do. She didn't even know what was causing all this.

The warlock said she was doing this. But that didn't make any sense. As she had told the warlock she hadn't done anything. She hadn't even cast a spell in the last few days that might have caused this. She wasn't even sure a Power of Three spell could accomplish what was going on. And she had no idea how to fix things.

"Dorothy," Cole asked, "are you okay? You look unhappy."

"I just don't know what to do," said Phoebe. "This isn't a movie so we can't even use a Power of Three spell to get us out like we did last time. I don't know how to undo the magic that's causing all this."

"I do," cackled Paige. "Give me the ruby slippers. I can use their magic. They are of no use to you. Give me the slippers and I can use their magic to set things right again."

The ruby slippers, thought Phoebe. That's it. They were supposed to contain great magic. Maybe the greatest magic in Oz. She could use their magic to turn everything back.

Phoebe ran to her room as fast as she could and threw the closet door open. She noticed the red glow in the back of the closet. She immediately located the glowing slippers and ran from her room.

Once back in the living room she placed the slippers on the coffee table. It was all so simple. She could use the magic of the slippers to counter whatever magic was doing this. As the warlock had said, this was no longer San Francisco. It was the Land of Oz and magic had to operate on the rules for Oz. Phoebe looked at the ruby slippers sitting on the coffee table and suddenly made a terrible realization.

She didn't have the first clue how to use the magic of the slippers. 


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"Dorothy, are you okay?" Cole asked her again.

"For the third time I'm fine," said Phoebe. "I just need to think."

"Give me the slippers," cackled Paige. "I can use their magic."

"How?" Phoebe asked.

"What?" Paige asked.

"How do you use the magic of the slippers?" Phoebe asked. "How does the magic work?"

Paige just stared at Phoebe with a blank look on her face. Phoebe turned to Piper.

"I don't suppose you know, do you?" Phoebe asked.

"Click your heels together three times," said Piper, "and say, 'there's no place like home'."

"Great," said Phoebe. "I know how to teleport myself to Kansas. Of course you don't know how the magic works. They never explained that in the movie. And we can't use the same Power of Three spell that we did before because we aren't in the movie this time."

"Maybe the wizard can help," suggest Leo.

"Unlikely," said Phoebe. "He's the one who caused this mess in the first place. But he said I was the one causing it this time. What did he mean by that? If this is like the last time he'll tell me just enough of the truth to try and confuse me. So how can I be causing this?"

"Causing what?" Cole asked.

"Causing everything to change into Munchkin Land," said Phoebe. "I didn't think even the Power of Three could do that. How could I do it by myself?"

She looked at the ruby slippers sitting on the coffee table.

"Unless that's what he was talking about," said Phoebe. "The slippers are supposed to be great magic. Maybe by bringing them out of the movie with me they're somehow causing all of this to happen."

"They are powerful magic," said Paige. "The most powerful in all of Oz."

"I know," said Phoebe. "They're made out of rubies. That's why they're called ruby slippers. I can't smash them with a hammer. They're too hard."

She looked at Piper.

"To bad your memory is all jumbled up," said Phoebe. "You could just blow them up."

"They're magic is very strong," Paige repeated.

"Yeah, yeah," said Phoebe. "Which means I have to find some way to stop that magic. Now it's a safe bet I won't be able to counter its magic with a spell if it's powerful enough to alter all of reality. But maybe I can selectively counter some of the magic."

She looked at Piper and Paige.

"When we were stuck in the movie," said Phoebe, "you still had your magic even if you didn't remember it. So there's no reason to think that's changed. You're both witches in Oz. And my precognitive ability is protecting me. Which means we all still have our powers.

"All I have to do is come up with a Power of Three spell to protect you from the slippers' magic. That should put your memories back and then maybe we can figure a way out of this."

"Dorothy, can we help?" Leo asked.

"No," said Phoebe. "Unfortunately I don't know if the spell is going to work. And I don't know if it will affect you and Cole."

Phoebe sat down and began to compose the spell. She knew she was working against a time constraint but she didn't know how much time she actually had. She could only hope there was time to complete the spell before it was too late.

"Well," said Phoebe after a while, "I guess this will have to do."

"What will have to do, my pretty?" Paige asked.

"This spell," said Phoebe. "Now, all we have to do is cast it and with a little luck you'll all be back to your old selves again. At least Piper and Paige will be, hopefully."

"What do you want us to do?" Piper asked.

"Just read this with me," Phoebe said.

Phoebe held up the piece of paper with the spell on it. Piper and Paige looked at it and then the three read the spell in unison.

"Powers of goodness hear my plea. Restore to us the sisters three."

As soon as they finished reciting the spell the magic flashed and Phoebe immediately lost consciousness. 


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

"Phoebe, wake up," Phoebe heard Cole saying.

Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed to be lying on the floor. Everyone else was gathered around her. She sat up.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked. "We just found you unconscious on the floor."

"Yeah, I think I'm all right," said Phoebe. "Are you okay, Piper?"

"I'm fine," said Piper. "Then again, I'm not the one unconscious on the living room floor."

"What the heck am I wearing?" Paige asked looking at the black dress she had on. "The last thing I remember was heading for work. Then suddenly we're finding Phoebe lying on the floor and I'm dressed like Elvira."

"Leo, Cole," said Phoebe. "How do you guys feel?"

"I feel okay," said Cole.

"I feel fine," Leo said. "But something isn't right. I'm not sensing any of my other charges."

"The spell must have worked," said Phoebe.

"What spell?" Piper asked, picking up the ruby slippers. "And what are these doing down here."

"Everyone sit down," said Phoebe. "I need to fill you in on what's been going on."

"Well, it certainly is green," said Paige looking out the front window.

"It's the Emerald City," said Piper. She turned back to Phoebe. "This warlock didn't tell you anything that might suggest how this happened?"

"Nothing," said Phoebe. "Just that I was doing it. I figured it was because I brought the slippers out of the movie with me."

"That would make sense," said Cole. "The slippers are supposed to be pretty powerful magic. By bringing them out of the movie you must have released that magic."

"But why now?" Paige asked. "I wasn't even here when you were sucked into that movie. I wasn't even a witch yet. Why is it doing this now?"

"That's a good question," said Cole. "Whatever was holding the magic in check must have been weakened somehow. That's why it's happening now. But nothing has changed recently."

"Yes it has," said Phoebe. "We all know that a witches spells are negated when she dies. We used a Power of Three spell to get out of the movie. Only Prue was part of that spell. When she died her part of the spell was negated weakening it some."

"I don't understand what that has to do with it," said Leo.

"She's making sense," said Piper. "The spell that brought us out of the move was meant to bring us back home. To the San Francisco we know. So the power of the spell kept the magic of the slippers in check."

"Right," said Phoebe. "With Prue no longer here the magic of the slippers began to bleed through, so to speak. When enough of it seeped out it started changing things. And now the magic has grown to where it's strong than ever, changing everything in this reality to the reality it came from."

"Can it do that?" Paige asked. "Change one reality for another?"

"Yes, it can," said Cole. "This is fantasy magic we're dealing with. Fantasy magic is the most powerful kind of magic there is."

"Well," said Piper, "we have to find a way to stop it and put everything back the way it's supposed to be."

"I figure if we destroy the slippers it should stop the magic and reverse everything that's been changed," said Phoebe. "Only I need your explosive power to do that. We don't have anything else strong enough to destroy a ruby."

"You can't do that," said Cole.

"Why not?" Phoebe asked.

"As powerful as the slippers appear to be," Leo said, "if you destroy them it will release their magic all at one time."

"If it doesn't destroy everything first," continued Cole, "it will permanently change everything almost instantly. There will be no way to every change things back."

"It may all ready be too late," said Leo. "It's overcome the spell the girls used to get out of the move. That means it's all ready overcome the Power of Three. And from what the warlock told Phoebe, it's only going to get stronger." 


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"Okay, I'm confused," said Paige. "Cole said this is fantasy magic, right?"

"Right," said Cole.

"But fantasy magic isn't real," said Paige. "It only exists in someone's imagination. So how can it be affecting anything let alone doing everything it's doing? It doesn't even exist."

"Normally that's true," said Cole. "But in this case Phoebe was able to bring fantasy magic into the real world when she brought the slippers with her. That makes it real. I know a few demons that have been looking for the secret to that for centuries."

"And the magic is so powerful nothing can resist it," said Leo.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Because there's nothing more powerful than fantasy magic," said Cole. "Not even the Power of Three. Remember when you were a little girl? Do you

remember what your fantasies were like?"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Paige.

"There's nothing you can't do in your imagination," said Cole. "You're bigger, stronger, more powerful than anyone or anything. That's because it's your fantasy. You're the hero. Nobody can stop you because it's your imagination."

"And the fantasy magic here is reinforcing the warlocks spell," said Piper. "Since he was originally cast as the wizard that makes him undefeatable in this reality."

"Exactly," said Leo. "It's also altering our reality to conform with its magic. That's why we all reverted to the roles we had been cast in for the movie."

"But the manor hasn't changed," said Phoebe. "And we were able to change everyone back with my spell. How come the slippers didn't change any of that?"

"It will," said Cole. "It's only temporary. Eventually the magic will become so strong nothing will be able to resist it. You're strongest here at the manor. And the power of the Nexus is probably holding the fantasy magic back some. But it won't take long before the slippers' magic will overwhelm even that. Just like in a real fantasy, if you need more power you simply get it."

"So how do we stop it?" Piper asked. "You said we couldn't destroy the slippers. How do we put things back the way they're supposed to be?"

"I don't know," said Cole. "I'm not sure anyone knows. As far as I know no one has successfully moved fantasy magic into the real world"

"I brought the slippers out with me," said Phoebe. "Wouldn't that have done it?'

"Not really," said Leo. "The slippers aren't really magical. They only exist that way in the movie. Which means they shouldn't be magical in the real world."

"Unless the Power of Three that brought us out of the movie also brought the magic with us," said Cole.

"You think that's possible?" Paige asked.

"It makes sense," said Cole. "Look the slippers are magical in the movie. The Power of Three spell you girls cast created a bubble of sorts around us so that we could be extricated from the movie."

"Except I was wearing the ruby slippers at the time," said Phoebe.

"Right," said Cole. "So when you left the movie this bubble kept the slippers intact including their magic. When Prue died the bubble was weakened allowing the magic to begin seeping out and begin altering everything."

"And the magic is reacting to the spell cast by the warlock,' said Leo, "just as it was designed to do. Which also explains how the warlock is still alive. He was trapped in the magic of the slippers until the bubble weakened enough to allow him to escape."

"That's what I figure," said Cole. "Now the magic is expanding, altering everything. It may be in the real world but it's still fantasy magic operating on the rules of fantasy magic."

"There's our solution," said Piper. "If the magic is reacting with the warlock's spell we just vanquish the warlock. Once we do that his spell will be negated and everything returns to normal."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," said Cole. "Fantasy magic has a life of its own. It's partially responsible for why people dream when they sleep. The magic dictates what the dreams are. Which means that in order to stop this the warlock is gong to have to agree to do it. Since it's his spell that's doing this he'll have to cooperate. Otherwise there's no way to stop it." 


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"I don't like this," said Phoebe as they entered the great castle where the wizard lived. "According to what you've said this should be the place where the warlock is the most powerful."

"Can't be helped," said Piper. "If we're going to convince him to help us change things back then we have to go see him."

"And just how do we convince him?" Paige asked. "Seems to me he doesn't have much incentive to change things back. Here he's undefeatable."

"One problem at a time," said Piper.

"We have to think of something," said Leo. "The longer this goes on the harder it's going to be."

"Oh, thank goodness I found you, Dorothy," said a voice behind them. "I can't find the scarecrow or the lion anywhere. I was beginning to think I'd never find you. Who are your friends?"

They all turned around to see Darryl standing behind them. Except that Darryl had been changed by the magic that was even now changing all of reality. Darryl was once again the tin woodsman, complete with axe.

"I had forgotten about Darryl," gasped Phoebe.

"Darryl who?" Darryl asked.

"Never mind," said Piper. "We're friends of Dorothy. She's taking us to see the wizard."

"Great," said Darryl. "I'm getting a heart. We really need to find the others so we can go see him."

"Yeah, well,' said Phoebe, "you really can't go like that. We need to be looking our best, you know. Why don't you go over to the machine shop or whatever and get all polished up for our visit? We're headed for the salon to get all spruced up. Then we'll meet you back here and go see the wizard. I'm sure the lion and the scarecrow will be back by then."

"Good idea," said Darryl. "I'll be back in a bit then."

"He didn't recognize us," said Paige. "Only Phoebe. And he thinks she's Dorothy."

"That's because he's caught up in the magic," said Cole. "We're still protected because of the spell you three cast. Eventually that's going to happen to all of us. And not even Phoebe's precognitive power will protect her indefinitely."

"We'd better get moving," said Piper. "We're running out of time."

They hurried through the castle to the door that would allow them access to the wizard. Strangely there was no guard at the door. And the door opened easily allowing them admittance.

"This is weird," said Phoebe. "This isn't in the movie. There's supposed to be a guard here who won't admit us until he hears my sob story about not being able to get home."

"We're not in the movie any longer," said Cole. "And there's no telling what the warlock may have changed. Everyone else considers him the wizard. He can pretty much do anything he wants with impunity."

They moved cautiously through the corridor heading for the audience chamber. They knew the warlock would be there. Their only hope was that he would listen to reason and help set things right again.

"Well, well, look who came for a visit,' said the warlock standing up from a large throw where the dais used to be. "I actually expected you a lot sooner. And you brought your little friends with you. How quaint."

"Save it," said Piper. "We aren't here for a social visit."

"I see you were able to free your friends from the spell," said the warlock. "It's only temporary, you know. Soon the magic will become so powerful none of you will be able to resist it. Then you'll become just more of my loyal subjects."

"We aren't going to let that happen," said Piper. "We're putting an end to this now."

"Oh, I know why you're here," said the warlock. "You need my help to put things back the way they were. Only that's not going to happen. Once the magic is strong enough I can kill you and take your powers without fear of altering anything. Then I can end all this and return to the real world where not even the Source will be able to oppose me. And nothing you can say or do is going to change that."

The warlock just laughed at the group as they stared at him. 


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

"Are you insane?" Paige asked. "Do you have any idea what's going on out there? Everything is changing into the Land of Oz. Leo and Cole tell us that eventually everything will be affected. And once the magic is strong enough nothing will be able to change it back."

"Of course I know what's going on," said the warlock. "I'm a Mystic Warlock. I know exactly what's happening."

"That explains how he was able to so completely submerge us in the movie in the first place," said Cole. "Mystic Warlocks are a specialized type of warlock. Their magic affects peoples' dreams, fantasies, and imagination. They can actually make a person's dreams become real, at least to a point."

"Or put living beings into a fantasy," said the warlock. "That's how I was able to put you in the movie to begin with."

"It's getting out of hand," said Piper. "It's not just us that's being affected. It's everything, this entire reality. You need to help us put things back while we still can."

"Why should I?" the warlock asked. "This way I get your power without a struggle. Something I could never do ordinarily. You're much too powerful. This way the magic does all the work. I just step in and reap the benefits."

"That's right," said Cole. "Their magic protects them. You'd need a stronger magic to get around that protection. Something you don't have."

"Exactly," said the warlock. "A direct confrontation would have been suicide. Many of my colleagues discovered that the hard way. So did my younger brother, Jeremy."

"That's right," said Piper. "You said Jeremy was your brother the last time we met."

"That's right," said the warlock. "Oh, as I said then, I'm not upset you vanquished him. But I had to come up with a way to get your power that didn't include a direct confrontation. That's why I came up with the idea of putting you in the movie. This particular movie is a fantasy. I knew its magic would accomplish what I could never do. But the movie wasn't the real world. Your Power of Three was able to draw you out of the movie back to the real world.

"But you took the slippers with you. And all the fantasy magic of Oz is contained in those slippers. I knew it was only a matter of time before that magic began to assert itself. And as I'm sure your friends have told you, nothing is more powerful than fantasy magic."

"And you're willing to destroy everything just to get their powers?" Leo asked. "That's cold even for a warlock."

"Save your breath, Leo," said Cole. "He's right. There's nothing any of us can do that's going to change his mind. We all might as well just go home and wait for the magic to overtake us."

"I can't believe you're just giving up," said Phoebe. "Cole, there has to be some way out of this."

"There isn't," said Cole. "You heard him. It took a power a lot stronger than the three of you to do this. And you can't force him to help. Nothing can stop this without his help. Leo and I will soon be overcome. And eventually even the three of you will be. You'll probably be the last ones because of the power that protects you. But in the end everyone will be permanently changed. And I mean everyone."

"Your demon friend is right," said the warlock. "Your power will protect you right up to the very end. But you can't prevent it. None of you can. Once the magic is powerful enough it will... Uh oh."

"Uh oh?" Paige asked. "What do you mean uh oh?'

"I was wondering how long it would take before that dawned on you," said Cole.

"What dawned on him?" Phoebe asked.

"He can't take your power until the magic overtakes you," said Cole. "Until it turns you into your characters. The problem is that once the magic is that powerful, no being will be able to resist it. Not even the warlock who's feeding it. And it's only a matter of time before even he becomes the character he was cast as. Our characters will replace whom and what we all are. Including the wizard."

"It seems I made a slight miscalculation," said the warlock.

"You think?" Cole asked. "It seems to me you now have a choice to make. Help us stop this now or eventually become the wizard. With no memory of who or what you were before."

"Are you ready to cooperate now?" Piper asked.

"It was a good idea," said the warlock. "Just one tiny little flaw that I forgot to account for."

"You can analyze later," said Phoebe. "Let's just figure out a way to put things back like they're supposed to be while we still can."

"That's easy," said the warlock. "The magic is fueling my spell. Once I cancel the spell everything will revert back to normal."

"Then do it," said Paige.

The warlock just smiled and closed his eyes. He concentrated for several minutes. Suddenly the smile faded from his face.

"How long is this going to take?" Piper asked.

"Longer than I originally thought," said the warlock. "We have a problem. I can't end my spell. The magic has gotten too strong. The magic is continuing to alter things and will continue to do so until we've all been changed. And there's no one who can stop it." 


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

"This is ridiculous," said Piper. "There has to be some way to counter this magic."

"I wish that were true," said the warlock. "Believe me, honey, I have no more wish to permanently become the wizard than you have of becoming Glenda the good witch."

"Don't honey me," said Piper. "What do we call you, anyway?"

"My name is Jerrod," said the warlock. "As I told you, the magic is too strong. I'm sure your Whitelighter and the demon have told you about fantasy magic. It just gets stronger. It's too strong for even me to control now. There's nothing I can do."

"You'd better think of something fast," said Piper, "because before I turn into a falsetto Wicca wannabe I can promise you I'll make sure you're vanquished."

"It won't do you any good," said Jerrod. "Remember, I'm the wizard. There's no one more powerful in Oz than I am."

"What about the Elders?" Paige asked Leo. "Surely there's something they can do."

"Maybe," said Leo, "except that I can't seem to contact them."

"Of course you can't," said Jerrod. "There are no Elders in OZ. And no demons either. Which means no underworld. The only reason the two of your are still around is because you were caught in the power of my spell. That and you're integrated as important characters in the story."

"What are our options?" Piper asked. "There are always options."

"Well," said Jerrod, "ordinarily a Mystic spell can be broken if the victim wakes up from their dream. Only no one's asleep in this case so that won't work."

"You're only thinking about affecting someone's dreams?" Paige asked.

"That's where my power lies," said Jerrod. "A Mystic Warlock has mastery over dreams, imagination, anything that involves fantasy. But we aren't that powerful in the real world. Why do you think I wanted your power? It would make me as powerful in the real world as I am in the fantasy world."

"But all of this is affecting the real world," said Phoebe. "How is that possible?"

"Because the real world and the fantasy world are merging," said Jerrod. "It's allowing the fantasy magic to become real magic. Only fantasy magic just keeps getting stronger."

"Power increase," said Cole. "Maybe that's the key."

"What do you mean?" Jerrod asked.

"We've been trying to change things back," said Cole. "But it's obvious we can't. What if we could interrupt the power source that's changing all this?"

"I've all ready tried that," said Jerrod. "I've tried to stop the spell but the magic is just too great. It won't let me."

"No," said Cole, "the spell is only the mechanics of the changes. The mechanism that dictates what changes occur. It's the magic behind the spell that makes the actual changes. It's why mortals can't cast spells. They have the mechanical means but no power to activate the mechanism."

"You're right," said Jerrod. "And in this case the magic behind the mechanism would be the ruby slippers. It's why everything remained intact after the movie ended. If I had the ruby slippers I might be able to use their magic to change things back. At the very least I should be able to interrupt the power flow. One I do that reality should reassert itself."

"They're sitting on the coffee table in the living room," said Phoebe.

"I'll orb over and get them," said Leo. "I should be right back."

Leo stood very still for several minutes but nothing happened.

"Well?" questioned Jerrod. "Orb all ready."

"I can't," said Leo. "It's not working."

"Of course not," said Jerrod. "The cowardly lion couldn't orb in the movie. And the scarecrow couldn't shimmer so I'm betting Turner's power isn't working either. The magic is beginning to overtake you."

"I guess we do this the old fashioned way," said Phoebe.

The group hurried out of the audience chamber heading back to the manor. It would only take them a few minutes to reach the manor. And Jerrod could then use the slippers to reset reality.

After more than half an hour searching Jerrod suddenly stopped. He sad down on a bench on one of the streets made of yellow bricks.

"It's too late," he said. "Your manor has been altered by the magic. It's now apart of the Emerald City. We have no way of knowing where the ruby slippers are. And by the time we find them it will be too late to do anything about it." 


	12. Chapter 12

TWELVE

"We can't just give up," said Piper. "We have to look for them."

"Where would you suggest?" asked Jerrod. "Look around you. Every building looks like all the others. All the streets are the same. Exactly the same. We can't even be sure we're in the right part of the city. And the stronger the magic gets the more the city is going to change. To conform to the actual Emerald City in the movie."

"There must be something we can do," said Leo. "We haven't been affected completely yet so the magic must still be reversible."

""I wouldn't say that exactly," said Cole.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Piper asked.

"Piper," said Phoebe, "your hair is blonde. Just like Glenda's in the movie."

"She's right," said Paige. "Looks like the magic is starting to affect you."

"I'm not the only one," said Piper, looking at Paige. "Paige, you're green. Just like the wicked witch."

"Oh, green is so not my color," said Paige looking at her hands. "I look like Kermit the frog."

"Well, at least I'm not the blonde this time," said Phoebe.

"I probably look like a bimbo," said Piper.

"Now you know how I feel every time it happens to me," said Phoebe.

"This is no time for jokes," said Cole. "If it's overcoming your magic it won't be long until everything changes and there won't be any way to change it back."

"Wait," said Paige. "I should still be able to orb things. I know orbing doesn't exist in Oz, but I'm supposed to be the Wicked Witch of the West. Maybe that will allow me to keep my orbing power a bit longer."

"It's worth a shot," said Piper. "You plan to orb the slippers to you?"

"I'm going to try," said Paige.

Paige held out her hands and called for the ruby slippers. Almost instantly the slippers began to orb into her hands. Just as quickly the orb suddenly ceased leaving Paige's hands empty.

"I guess the magic is too strong,' said Paige. "I can't complete the orb."

"That's not it," said Jerrod. "If that were the case your power wouldn't have worked at all."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked.

"I'm a Mystic Warlock," said Jerrod. "I know how my power works. I think I didn't work because the slippers don't belong to her. Just like in the movie she can't just take the slippers. They have to be freely given. That's the way I've always interpreted it since the wicked witch didn't just kill Dorothy and take them. She kept asking Dorothy to give them to her.

"But in the movie they belonged to Dorothy. And since Phoebe is cast as Dorothy then the slippers rightfully belong to her. They can't be taken from her. She has to give them to someone in order for that person to take them. That's why your orbing failed. Too bad Phoebe doesn't have that ability. She could just orb them to herself."

"Maybe she doesn't have to," said Paige. "Phoebe, hold out your hands."

Phoebe held out her hands and Paige did the same. Once again Paige called for the slippers and just as before they began to orb into her hands. Paige immediately redirected the orb to Phoebe and the slippers orbed unhindered to Phoebe's hand. Phoebe stood holding the ruby slippers.

"It worked," said Jerrod. "Now, you have to freely give me the slippers if I'm going to use their magic. But this should help me put everything back the way it's supposed to be."

Phoebe hesitated for a minute. Trusting a warlock was not exactly in Phoebe's nature.

"Look," said Jerrod, "I know you don't completely trust me. I can't say I blame you. But I want out of here as much as you do. And this is the only way.

Still hesitant Phoebe took the slippers and handed them to Jerrod. He smiled and then closed his eyes and concentrated. For several moments nothing happened. Suddenly Jerrod was cast several feet back by some powerful unseen force. The slippers clattered to the road.

"It's too late," said Jerrod. "The magic has become too strong. Not even I can control it any longer. In a few minutes the last of us will be overwhelmed by it and converted to our characters. When that happens the Land of Oz will take over completely and we will all disappear forever." 


	13. Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

"Wait a minute," said Piper. "You're the Mystic Warlock. You're the one who's supposed to be able to control fantasy magic. What do you mean you can't do anything?"

"Too much of reality still exists for me to get any control over the magic," said Jerrod. "Remember I told you I have very little power in the real world. The reality that still exists is sort of grounding me out; keeping me from creating a stable connection."

"What if we helped?" Paige asked. "You could use your power to reverse your spell and we could use a Power of Three spell to try the same thing. You would affect the fantasy while we would work on reality. That's an awful lot of power. Maybe it would overwhelm the change and reset everything."

"No, it wouldn't," said Jerrod. "First, we can't combine our power like that. Yours is good while mine is evil. They are diametrically opposed to each other."

"He's right," said Leo. "The only reason the three of you can cast a Power of Three spell is because you're blood sisters. That's what allows you to combine your powers into one single extremely potent spell."

"It might exert unusual force on the magic," said Jerrod. "But at most it might delay the change by only a few minutes. It wouldn't be enough to stop it completely."

"That would be a few more minutes than we have right now," said Piper. "It will give us more time to come up with a permanent solution."

"Us maybe, not you," Jerrod said.

"What does that mean?" Phoebe asked.

"It means," said Jerrod, "that I cast the spell. So I'll be one of the last to be affected by it. Your precognitive ability is what protected you in the first place. Presumably it's also what's protecting you this time. Plus you're the main character. That means you'll be protected a little bit longer than I will.

"But a Power of Three spell would require you to call on the magic that's protecting your sisters. They would no longer have that protection and that means they would convert to their characters as soon as the spell was cast."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Leo asked.

"Not under the circumstances," said Jerrod. "If I were the last one to be converted I might be able to stop it then. But Phoebe's the main character. That means she'll be the last one to be affected. I'll be converted a few minutes before she is. Long after the four of you have taken your places. But I won't be able to establish control before I'm converted. And there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"Stop saying that," said Piper, almost totally frustrated.

"So that's it?" Cole asked. "All we can do is stand here and wait to become fictitious characters in a make believe world?"

"Oh, it will be quite real, I assure you," said Jerrod. "It's no longer a fantasy. This is going to be reality from now on, such as it is."

"I can't believe it,' said Phoebe. "Isn't there any magic we can use?"

"In the movie," said Jerrod, "there are the ruby slippers, the wizard, and the two witches. In that order. There are no Elders, no any underworld, no other magical beings. That's what our reality has been transformed into. Once the conversion is complete there won't be anyone left who remembers the way it's supposed to be."

"I won't accept that," said Phoebe. "There's always something we can do."

"I guess not this time, Dorothy," said Leo. "If the wizard says there's nothing we can do then I guess he's right."

Phoebe looked at Leo. He was no longer her Whitelighter or Piper's husband. He had converted completely to the cowardly lion from the movie. The character he had become when the warlock had attacked the first time.

She looked at the others. Cole was now the scarecrow, Piper had changed into Glenda, the good witch, and Paige had converted to the Wicked Witch of the West. Phoebe knew it was probably only a matter of minutes before the magic changed her and Jerrod forever.

"For what it's worth," said Jerrod, "I am sorry. You may not believe me and I can't blame you if you don't, but I am. This is way more than I ever figured on."

"Me, too," said Phoebe. "In a few minutes you'll be gone and I'll be by myself. At least I won't last long. And my whole family is with me. I guess Dorothy was right. There's no place like home."

"What did you just say?" Jerrod asked.

"There's no place like home," said Phoebe. "You know. Probably the best known line in the movie."

"Of course," said Jerrod, putting both hands to his forehead as if suddenly remembering something. "I'm such an idiot."

"What?" Phoebe asked. "What is it?"

"The ruby slippers," said Jerrod. "We can still beat this but only if we have the slippers."

Phoebe began to look around for the slippers but they were nowhere to be seen. She could only think of one reason for that. They were no longer there. The fantasy magic was now nearly complete. 


	14. Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

"They're not here," said Phoebe frantically looking around. "It's too late. The magic must have all ready affected them."

"That's not possible," said Jerrod. "They belong in this reality. No matter what happens they should still be here. When I tried to use them before I dropped them from the backlash of the magic. So they have to be around here somewhere. We have to find them. There are only a few moments left."

"Hurry," Phoebe said to everyone else, "help us find the slippers. There isn't a moment to loose."

Everyone spread out and began to search for the slippers. But the slippers were nowhere to be found. It was as if they had vanished into thin air. Suddenly Phoebe noticed Paige. Paige seemed to be only glancing around, not really looking that hard. And she kept her right arm crossed over her stomach as if holding something in her arm.

"I think I found them," said Phoebe, grabbing Paige by the arm. "Come on. Hand them over."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Paige trying to pull away.

"We don't have time for this," said Phoebe as she struggled with Paige. "We've only got a minute or two left. Give me the slippers before it's too late."

As Phoebe and Paige struggled one of the slippers suddenly fell out of Paige's dress and clattered to the street. Jerrod picked up the slipper.

"They're mine," cried Paige. "They belonged to my sister. You killed her for them. They belong to me."

"Give her the slipper," said Jerrod forcefully.

Paige suddenly relented handing the second slipper to Paige.

"She sees me as the wizard," said Jerrod smiling. He handed the slipper he had picked up off the ground to Phoebe. "Here. You have to use these to reset everything."

"I thought the slippers had to be given freely," said Phoebe. "How was she able to pick the slippers up?"

"Because I dropped them," said Jerrod. "Once that happens they don't belong to anyone. So that allowed her to pick them up."

"But once she picked them up didn't they belong to her?" Phoebe asked. "How could you pick that one up once she dropped it?"

"You want me to explain everything or you want to get back to the real world?" Jerrod asked.

"Point taken," said Phoebe. "So how are you going to use them to reverse everything?"

"Not me, you," said Jerrod. "I can't do it, you have to."

"Me?" cried Phoebe. "I can't. I don't have any special control over fantasy magic. You're supposed to be the Mystic Warlock."

"But I can't do it," said Jerrod. "Don't you see? There's only one way to correct everything. You have to bring the magic full circle. In the movie you used a Power of Three spell to get out. You never used the slippers as Dorothy did plus you took the slippers out of the movie."

"Yeah, so?" Phoebe asked.

"So," said Jerrod, "the movie can't end until that happens. It's how Dorothy returns to Kansas. Until she does the movie is still playing in the fantasy world. You have to use the slippers to get out of Oz and back to Kansas. That brings Dorothy back to where it all started."

"But how will that help?" Phoebe asked. "Even if I do that I'll just return to Kansas in the movie. And that's still in the fantasy world."

"Yes," said Jerrod, "but a fantasy without the magic of Oz. Even though it's a fantasy it's a non-magical fantasy. The 'real world' within the fantasy. The magic of Oz will no longer exist and this reality will reset itself to the 'reality' of the fantasy Kansas."

"But how does that help?" Phoebe asked.

"Once the magic of Oz is gone," said Jerrod, "the real world will begin to reassert itself. In fact, the fantasy magic should help facilitate the change. Even the fantasy magic will be trying to reset everything to the 'real' world."

"What about them?" Phoebe asked, looking at the others. "How do I get them out of this?"

"You don't have to," said Jerrod. "Once reality is reset they'll return to normal. But you have to hurry while you still remember what to do."

"But what can I do?" Phoebe asked. "How do I use the magic of the ruby slippers?"

"The same way Dorothy did," said Jerrod. "You use them to return to Kansas. Just like she did in the movie. You click your heels together three times and say 'there's no place like home'. That's all there is to it."

Phoebe looked at Jerrod in surprise. He had suddenly changed. He was now wearing the same outlandish clothes the wizard had worn in the movie.

"Hurry," pleased Jerrod. "There's no time left."

Phoebe knew it could be a trick. For all she knew this would protect the warlock without affecting anyone else. It could be one last effort on his part to get their powers. But she also knew she was out of time. And out of options. As quickly as she could she put the slippers on her feet. Then she clicked the heels together three times.

"There's no place like home,' Phoebe said. "There's no place like home."

As Phoebe repeated the phrase over and over again she felt herself begin to slip away and Dorothy become stronger. 


	15. Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on the sofa in the living room of the manor. Piper and Paige sat on the edge of the sofa next to her. Leo, Cole, and Darryl stood behind the sofa. Jerrod was no place to be seen.

"What's going on?" Darryl asked looking around. "The last thing I remember was filling out a report at my desk. The next thing I know I'm standing here. What the hell just happened?"

"It must have worked," said Phoebe. "Everything seems to be back to normal."

"What worked?" Paige asked. "The last thing I remember is fighting with you over the slippers. It was like watching myself in a movie. I could see everything that was going on but I couldn't do anything about it."

Phoebe filled them all in on what had happened after the magic had altered them.

"Well," said Cole, looking out the window, "it seems like everything is back to normal. I guess Jerrod was right about using those slippers."

"The slippers," said Phoebe, looking at her feet. She found herself wearing the same shoes she had been wearing before the whole ordeal had started. "They're gone."

"Of course they are," said Cole. "They would have stayed in the Land of Oz where they belong. Dorothy didn't bring them out when she returned to Kansas. So there's reason they shouldn't have done the same thing this time."

"You mean it was all real?" Darryl asked. "That story Phoebe told us a few months ago about being sucked into the movie?"

"Apparently so," said Piper.

"I guess that explains the metallic taste in my mouth," said Darryl.

"I thought we were goners," said Phoebe. "I wasn't sure using the slippers would actually work."

"Obviously they did," said Piper. "And with them gone for good we shouldn't have to worry about it happening again."

"Good," said Paige. "That witches dress was not flattering on me at all."

"I wonder what happened to Jerrod," said Phoebe. "I wonder if he got out this time or if he got stuck in the fantasy world."

"It would serve him right if he got stuck in there," said Piper. "He started this whole thing to begin with. Good riddance I say."

"Well, he did help us get out," said Phoebe. "You gotta give him credit for that."

"I'm being summoned," Leo said. "They probably want to know what happened."

"I need to get going, too," said Darryl. "I have no idea how I'm going to explain this."

"I'll drop you off," said Leo. "With a little luck maybe no one noticed anything unusual."

"As Leo and Darryl orbed out of the manor, Piper and Paige headed for the kitchen. Phoebe sat on the sofa with Cole thinking. She wondered if she would ever learn Jerrod's fate. Or if he would ever come back to finish what he had started.

Phoebe sat up with a start. She was in her bed. Cole lay sleeping next to her. Across the room Jerrod sat in a chair.

"Hello, Phoebe," Jerrod said.

"How?" Phoebe questioned looking at Cole.

"I'm in your dream," said Jerrod. "That's why Cole isn't waking up. Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you."

"What do you want?" Phoebe asked.

"I just wanted to thank you," said Jerrod. "For trusting me. No one's ever done that before. It felt strangely good."

"I didn't have much choice," said Phoebe. "We were out of time and options."

"Be that as it may," said Jerrod, "you chose to trust me. I felt I should thank you for that."

"So what now?" Phoebe asked. "Another plan to kill us and steal our powers?"

"I don't think so," said Jerrod. "I've tried twice and failed. But I'm still alive. No small feat considering whom I was up against. Most of my contemporaries don't survive even one encounter with you. I consider myself extremely fortunate. I don't think I want to press my luck a third time. I'll just have to find some other way to accomplish my goals."

"That's good," said Phoebe. "Next time we'd have to vanquish you."

"No next time," said Jerrod. "But you helped give me some new insight into fantasy magic. Who knows? I may be able to learn to control it completely yet."

"Probably not a good idea," said Phoebe.

"Hey, I gotta give it a shot," said Jerrod. "I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I'm glad I got the chance to know you."

"All the same," said Phoebe, "let's make it a good long time before your next visit, shall we?"

"No problem there," said Jerrod. "I doubt your sisters would be too thrilled to see me again."

"You got that right," said Phoebe.

"You know," said Jerrod. "I could have left you all in that fantasy world. If I had used the slippers instead of you I would have been returned to reality but you would have been left behind."

"So why didn't you?" Phoebe asked.

"I honestly don't know," said Jerrod. "It just didn't feel right to do that. I can't really explain it to myself so it's not easy to explain to someone else."

"Maybe you're developing a conscience," said Phoebe.

"Heavens I hope not," said Jerrod smiling. "That's one luxury I can't afford."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Phoebe.

"Goodbye, Phoebe Halliwell," said Jerrod. "It has been a rare pleasure. Under other circumstances we might even have been friends."

"Maybe," said Phoebe. "We'll probably never know."

"Probably not," said Jerrod. "Well, I should be going. Once I'm gone your dream will return to what it was supposed to be. But you'll remember I was here. A little memento from me."

"Thanks," said Phoebe.

She found herself talking to no one. Jarred had suddenly vanished from the chair. Phoebe settled back into the bed waiting for the real dream to kick in. As she did she thought about Jerrod. For a warlock, he wasn't such a bad guy. As she seemed to drift off she began to wonder when she started thinking of a mortal enemy as a potential friend.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction. 


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